Camaraderie
by Kiexa
Summary: When the moon is full, no one else really gets what's wrong with Saix... except for maybe Larxene.


This was meant to be a character study... in the definition of the term that means I came up with it as I was studying a character. Lots of fun to write, seeing as I was in the same mood as both Saix and Larxene when I wrote it.

Disclaimer: Sadly, Kingdom Hearts is way too awesome for me to own. Heck, even Xemnas failed. What does that make a loony fangirl like me?

P.S. And to those of you who are waiting on the next chapter of Fission, I apologize. I've really got no excuse... other than school and the fact that a massive case of writer's block has been eating my brain up like a worm eating an apple. Expect it during spring break... only I won't tell you when that is. Muahahahaha....

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**||Camaraderie||**

_I hate being the only berserker in the Organization..._

Saix was not in the mood for this.

It was only Xigbar being Xigbar, but right now, it was almost more than he could handle.

"Move," he snapped, seething.

The Freeshooter only smirked maliciously, making no attempt to step out of the doorway to the Grey Area. "Magic word, Puss?"

_Move,_ _dammit._

Growling, Saix jerked up an arm, snatched a fistful of Xigbar's coat and skin, lifted him off the floor and threw him out of the way with such force that the superior member nearly fell over. Without a backward glance, he stalked past and heard Xigbar clicking his tongue reproachfully. "Puss needs to learn some manners."

Please_shut your piehole, you idiot. Thank you._

Saix almost said it out loud, but managed to reign his temper before he did something so uncharacteristically stupid and… uncharacteristic. Normally, such an abstract, pointless thought wouldn't even cross his mind, but this time of the month he was even grumpier than Vexen and more irrational than Demyx.

Blame it all on the moon.

When the moon was full, Saix hated everything.

When the moon was full, everything hated Saix.

This time of the month, that was just the way it was.

"Hey, Saix--"

Saix didn't realize his arm had come up until he had backhanded Roxas in the face. He turned to see the teenager cupping a bloody nose, tears of pain welling up in his eyes and a bewildered look on his face.

"What?" he demanded, almost considering being apologetic.

Roxas opened his mouth. "Can me and Axel --"

On second thought, Saix wasn't sorry at all.

"No," he snapped, then turned abruptly and stomped to his usual spot nearby the windows on the far side of the room. Glowering, he yanked out his clipboard and began taking roll.

Axel walked up, apparently oblivious to his bad mood. "Hey, Saix, have you seen--"

"No," Saix snapped again, without looking up.

Axel blinked at him, confused. "O...kay."

Saix chose to ignore him and continued scribbling on his clipboard.

Axel shifted uncomfortably, tapping his fingertips together. "Um, Saix?"

Saix had no desire to be helpful today. "Neverland," he ordered sourly. "If you miss your target, you're either blind and deaf, or more stupid than I think you are. Now get. Out. Of my. Face."

"Sure thing," said Axel quickly, conceding and retreating with his hands up.

Saix pretended not to hear. Frowning, he scrutinized his clipboard again and realized in annoyance that he hadn't completed organizing the mission schedule for the day. With a sigh of exasperation, he lifted up his pencil to start filling in names, but hesitated when he suddenly had the distinct impression that he should look up. He started to raise his head--

Too late.

A black blur with a mullet smashed into him, flattening him against the windows and sending his clipboard flying. His head bounced off the glass and all the air in his lungs escaped with a feeble "ungf" as another Nobody's clumsy, flailing self dragged them both to the floor.

"Ouch."

_Demyx._

Saix mentally resolved to sentence the musician to a week of kitchen duty. "Get off me!" he snarled, shoving one of the Nocturne's boots off of his face.

"Sorry," Demyx mumbled, rubbing his head. "Luxord scared me."

_Make that a month of kitchen duty._

"Get! Off!!"

"All right already. I'm getting." Demyx clambered to his feet, elbowing Saix in the head in the process, then turned and offered him a hand.

Saix glared at up him from the floor without budging. "If you touch me, I will kill you," he hissed, clearly enunciating every syllable.

Demyx's eyes widened and he scurried off like a cockroach.

Clenching his teeth, Saix managed to find his clipboard and stand up. _The fact that the moon affects only me is enough to drive me completely berserk,_ he fumed silently, shooting a scathing glance around the room through narrowed eyes.

"Out of my way, you idiot!" angry feminine voice demanded from the doorway.

Saix flinched and looked up to see Larxene march into the Lounge, shoving Xigbar out of her path unmercifully. The sniper righted himself with a scowl, but instead of snapping out a nasty potshot aimed at Larxene's lack of social skills with men, he turned and disappeared through a dark portal without a single sarcastic word.

Saix turned back to his schedule, almost smirking at the abrupt silence. He couldn't help but feel a tad bit justified by Larxene's unexplained bad temper, but was slightly annoyed that she could quiet an entire room and he couldn't.

The Nymph stomped over to the couch, plopped down and began to file her nails fiercely, apparently oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at her. Suddenly, she snatched something from between the couch cushions and hurled it across the room. "Good God, Luxord, at least grow up enough to pick up your damn games!" she barked.

The pack of cards hit the Gambler square in the forehead, and he jolted, cursing and rubbing his temple. Grumbling something about "hell having no such fury as womankind," he retrieved his precious cards with a frown and fled the room.

"Jeez, someone needs a chill pill," Axel muttered as he watched Luxord vanish.

He didn't mutter quietly enough and Larxene heard him.

"Jeez, someone needs a kick in the ass," she retorted spitefully.

Axel started to say something, but seemed to think better of it and opened a dark corridor instead. He cleared his throat. "Much as I'd like to argue that point, I've got a mission I need to finish," he said, excusing himself.

"Stupid fire-breathing porcupine," Larxene said as the portal closed.

The room's already tense air grew even thicker, and after a long, unbearable moment, Roxas began to edge for the door. He flinched with every step, obviously noting that Larxene's incriminatory green eyes were criticizing his every move.

Halfway toward his escape hatch, he suddenly stopped dead and squeezed his eyes shut. He opened them again and spun toward Larxene, sputtering, "Stop it! Stop looking at me!"

Larxene didn't budge. "What's your problem, fishface?" she questioned coldly.

Roxas paled, then, unable to respond, ran out of the room.

"I hate kids…" Larxene grumbled.

The room went quiet for just a moment until a deafening crash shattered the silence.

Demyx's blonde head popped up from behind the couch, eyes wide.

"Oops."

He looked around quickly and seemed to realize that he was the only person left in the room to antagonize. Rolling off the couch with a thump, he started to his feet and peeked up, first at Saix, then at Larxene.

Neither bothered to acknowledge him.

He grabbed his sitar from the floor. "Well, I need a little nap," he announced timidly, sidling toward the door like a black-coated crab. "Somebody wake me up in time for dinner."

Saix resisted the urge to throw his clipboard at Demyx as the mullet-headed Nocturne tiptoed out the door.

The Lounge went silent.

For a moment, Saix enjoyed hearing nothing but the scribbling of his own pencil. He went back to work, ignoring Larxene, who slouched on the couch, glowering at nothing.

After a moment, she huffed out an enormous, frustrated sigh. "I hate being the only woman," she groaned.

Saix looked up at her, blinking. _The only woman? She thinks she ahs it hard, when she the only woman and I'm the only--_

He suddenly understood. He smirked, but just barely. "I get you," he said, just loud enough for her to hear. "I get you."

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Well, we'll try to ignore the crappy ending, won't we? Sorry 'bout that... I only read and edited it twice-- which for me is not much... I'll probably come back and fix it later. In the meantime, you can tell me whether you hated or loved it or otherwise... via review. Pretty please. XD


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